In the movie, Star Wars, the “bad guy,” Darth Vader wore black. In The Revenge of the Sith,the prequel to the series, it is revealed how he turned his back on the light. He was subsequently taken over by the “dark” side of the force and burned by a river of molten lava, symbolic of the fury burning within him.

Many crystals and stones are birthed or have some affinity with this volcanic mass. When a volcano unleashes its fury, the black volcanic rock burns red. When it cools, it returns to its former color, but that doesn’t mean it has lost its strength. Its power lies dormant inside.

There are many black stones and crystals that have this quality. They can also protect and help you stay grounded. Black tourmaline isa fabulous grounding stone. Being heavier than it looks, this stone offers a sense of strength.

Shamans, priests, magicians, and mystical people use Black Tourmaline because of its ability to protect, but how does it protect you? The stone keeps you anchored into the earth, consequently when you are rising higher especially during a Shamanic journey or when doing psychic work, you remain grounded and when you’re grounded, you are protected. In addition tourmaline helps you to return to your body quickly. Its reflective surface can give you the sense of seeing what’s about to happen, and if this is overpowering for you then its striations churn up the energy so you don’t get overwhelmed.

There are other black stones with the same properties. These are obsidian (also called Apache tears), astrophyllite, black spinel, and nuummite. Stones are formed from natural ingredients many of them have similar components. One of the most popular elements in stones is carbon. Found in organic matter it is one of the ingredients of life. Carbon can be seen clearly in Jet, a black stone developed from coal. Diamonds are made from the same material as Jet only it has developed in a different way and is more valuable. I use black diamonds in my work and often feel that diamonds and Bonsai trees share the same energy; they are full of potential and have the ingredients for greatness.

To embrace the qualities of black, wear a stone or a crystal that you are intuitively drawn to. Simply ask yourself which stone would be best for you allowing your inner guide to lead you to the stone either literally or in your vision. People with fiery personalities tend to respond to volcanic-based stones like obsidian. Black Tourmaline also comes in other rainbow colors and so has an affinity with rainbows. Consider the energy behind a stone, it might help you understand why you are attracted to particular ones.

If you’re not a fan of stones then you can try wearing black clothes instead. However, be careful. If you wear black all the time, you will probably feel the need to retreat more often than not. Black is like a safe nurturing cave or dark room, a place you might not want to emerge from once inside.

Some people find creative inspiration in black. If you feel black will help you find your creative mojo, grab a blackboard. Get into a meditative state and let words come to you. Using colored chalks, write the words on your blackboard. White chalks may not have the same effect as colored chalks. That said, use your own intuition on whether to use white or colored chalks for this exercise. If you don’t have a blackboard, use a piece of black cardboard.

If you want to develop your psychic abilities, do the following exercise. Spread a deck of Tarot cards on a black cloth. Keep the cards face down and read them intuitively. Take out the number of cards you want for a reading and allow the energy of the black cloth to draw insights from your inner self. When you’ve gathered as much as you can by doing this, you can either flip them over and continue the reading or put them back in the deck without looking at them. You can also use a scrying mirror made from a natural black stone like obsidian to develop your psychic skills, particularly clairvoyance.

Black earth is fertile, so if there is something you strongly desire, get some black clay, write your wish in itor carve out what you desire. Then take the clay back to the earth knowing that the earth mother will nurture your wish. Black holds potential, so you also could plant seeds in blacksoil or write your desire in the soil using your finger.

Black is a grounding color so it can help resolve root chakra issues such as deep-seated fear, abuse, persecution issues, rejection, and the feeling of not belonging. It can help with pain in the root chakra area as a result of trauma in addition to skeletal and structural problems around the pelvis and the legs.

Black can be used to resolve money issues, helping to build wealth and financial stability. It can help hyperactive children organize their thoughts, but it will have no effect on their activity levels. It can help you set boundaries by allowing you to see what is rightfully yours and what belongs to other people.

Black has a magnetic quality. It creates structure, balance, and a sense of polarity. If you feel any kind of imbalance, lie down and put a black stone on the chakra in need of rebalancing. Black river rocks may be used for this purpose. Invite the stone to take away the imbalance and ask your chakra or chakras to let go of anything that has caused the problem. When you sensea change and the healing session is complete, give thanks to the stone. Then you can either bury it in the ground or toss it into a moving body of water like a brook or a river. You can also determine where to return the stone according to the element of the chakra you're working with. For example, if you used the stone on your root chakra, return it to the earth. If you worked on your heart chakra, you can return it to the river.

Black stones can also absorb negative dream energy and fears that emerge during the dream state. If you suffer from frequent nightmares, put a black stone under your pillow.Use your intuition to find out how this impacts your dreams andyour fears. Obsidian works well for this purpose. If you don’t feel comfortable having a stone under your pillow, you can either have it close by on your bedside table or under the bed directly below your head. Be sure to remove the stone and wash it under running water to cleanse it in the morning.

Elizabeth Harper is an internationally acclaimed metaphysical artist, psychic medium, healer and teacher. She has been featured in popular national magazines including Woman’s World, Redbook, and Health, is a magazine columnist and regular contributor to radio and television in the US and Australia, and is the award-winning author of Wishing: How to Fulfill Your Heart’s Desires. She is also a contributing author in two anthologies - Women Will Save the World, and The Gratitude Book Project.